Hunters for the Hungry Louisiana outlines statewide protein-donation operations, seeks partners
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Summary
The charity Hunter for the Hungry Louisiana told the CWD task force it donated tens of thousands of pounds of protein and partners with processors statewide; the group said it will reopen its hog donation program and seeks corporate sponsors and volunteers.
Julie Greenwald, executive director of Hunters for the Hungry Louisiana, told the task force the nonprofit collects and distributes donated game and freezer-stored protein to state food banks and partner agencies. She told members the group collected about 18,500 pounds during a recent “clean out your freezer” event and said the program moved more than 50,000 pounds of deer meat last year; it also processed roughly 1,600 donated deer in the most recent reporting period.
Greenwald described two core program pathways: (1) an annual statewide drive that collects private freezer donations at dozens of sites and (2) a network of more than 50 processors that convert donated deer into ground meat at no cost to hunters. She said the program pays processing fees so donations go to food banks and agencies that handle hot-meal programs and shelters.
On hogs and other species, Greenwald said a 2022 legislative change allowed the group to accept nuisance hogs; from March 2022 to August 2024 the program received roughly 3,500 hogs (about 137,000 pounds of ground pork) but paused for funding and expects to reopen the hog intake at month end. She said fish donations and other species (including preserves’ exotics such as fallow or red stag) can be accepted when processors and logistics permit.
Members asked about processor coverage and logistics; Greenwald said processors’ capacity varies by region and that the group lists participating facilities on its website and encourages hunters to call ahead. She also noted Hunters for the Hungry Louisiana operates as a 501(c)(3) and said the organization is protected under Louisiana’s Good Samaritan law when donating food in good faith.
The presentation closed with members offering help to expand drop-off points, signage and mobile collection concepts to increase convenience for donors and to support CWD-related sampling goals. The task force did not take formal action on the presentation.
The next procedural item on the agenda followed the presentation.
